Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Economists Say Germany Most in Favor of Lifting Anti-Russian Sanctions

The German citizens do not share the
public opinion of the other Europeans on sanctions against Russia, as
the negative impact on German economy is higher.

WASHINGTON, December 20 (Sputnik) – The German public views sanctions
imposed by the West against Russia over its alleged involvement in the
Ukrainian crisis differently than France and the United Kingdom, because
they have a more negative economic and political impact on Germany,
experts have told Sputnik.

"As the EU country most heavily engaged in trade with Russia, Germany
is where the sanctions hit hardest," Gilbert Doctorow, a Research
Fellow at American University, told Sputnik Friday, stressing that
300,000 German jobs depend on trade with Russia.

According to Doctorow, many of these jobs "are or will be lost as sales of German manufactured goods are falling quickly".

A recent ICM Research poll,
conducted exclusively for Sputnik, revealed that 40 percent of Germans
believe sanctions against Russia should be lifted. Thirty-eight percent
of German respondents said sanctions should remain the same, while only
14 percent said they should be tightened.

That compares to 31 percent in France and 17 percent in the United
Kingdom, who said sanctions should be lifted. In France, 20 percent said
sanctions should be tightened and 36 percent thought they should stay
same. In the United Kingdom, 21 percent of respondents said sanctions
should be tightened while 45 percent they should stay same, revealing a
substantial discrepancy with fellow EU-member Germany.

"The Germans are more in favor of lifting sanctions for the simple
reason that the German economy is the most integrated into Russian
markets of all the other European economies," Anton Fedyashin, the
Executive Director of the Initiative for Russian Culture at American
University, explained in an interview with Sputnik Friday.

According to Fedyashin, if a "full financial crisis" happens
in Russia, the German economy will receive the first blow, as "Russian
banks and businesses owe most of their debt to German banks".

The German position is also heavily impacted by its efforts to help stabilize the situation in Ukraine.
"Germany has also played a leading role as a mediator in the
Ukrainian crisis, with a greater interest in de-escalating the current
standoff between Moscow and the West," Eurasia analyst at geopolitical
analysis and forecasting company STRATFOR, Eugene Chausovsky, told
Sputnik Friday.

Meanwhile, professor of German and European Studies at Georgetown
University, Jeffrey J. Anderson, told Sputnik that the German public is
also worried that the tensions with Russia and the crisis in Ukraine
could morph into a "shooting war".

"I think these sentiments can be traced both to a stronger pacifist
streak in Germany, but also a greater willingness over the years, dating
back to the Cold War, to find ways to accommodate Russian foreign
policy positions," Anderson said Friday.

The European Union, the United States and their allies have
implemented a series of sanctions, targeting Russia's defense, energy
and banking sectors, over its alleged involvement in the situation
in Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied the claim, stressing that
sanctions are "counterproductive" and hurt those, using the measure,
in addition to the target country.

Russia has also imposed a one-year ban on the import of certain foods
from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and
Norway.

Quotes

"There is beauty in truth, even if it's painful. Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak. But lies only strengthen our defects. They don't teach us anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything. Nor do they develop one's character, one's mind, one's heart or one's soul." Jose Harris

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